English and art lesson's in exchange for Spanish

I am leaving Aotearoa/New Zealand around late August early September. As an experienced art teacher and practicing sculptor/jeweler I am looking to do some English and art teaching somewhere in Venezuela.

Have heard good things about Aragua and the city of Maracay, so If anyone has any information about Maracay would appreciate a reply, thank you. I have just completed a (TESOL) certificate, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages course here in New Zealand to bolster post-graduate Master of Fine Art degree and native speaking credentials -  and once in the Repubilica Bolivariana de Venezuela would be keen to explore opportunities to work in a community that is open to bridging the imagination between the visual and spoken language as an agent of social change and refection.

Also, would be open to exploring the possibility of exchanging tuitions; English and art lesson's in exchange for Spanish and shared accommodation etc...

Look FWD to hearing back

Cheers

Stephen

Hola! Saludos desde Valencia, Venezuela. Me llamó mucho la atención lo que escribiste acerca de tu experiencia en Venezuela :)

Hola, gracias por su respuesta, su inglés es mejor que mi español! ¿la mejor manera de comunicar luego Venezurela Belle? :)

Sorry, my spanish translation in my last messsage is not very good, please excuse any misunderstanding, stephen

Hi! Don't worry about what you wrote me, you did it good. My english isn't good. I write better than I talk, and that is a lot :-P

I don't know when you came to Venezuela, but the situation here is bad. I want to go from here, but I don't know where is my place :-s

So I don't recommend that you move to venezuela :(

Maru

Well dear Maru,

I wasn't expecting a thumbs down so quick from you as a recommendation NOT to visit your beautiful country Venezuela, but then I am not that surprised, as I have been following your countries polities for sometime.

I know that corruption is a big problem and the divide between rich and poor is great...In your advise, you might be looking after me! as you say indirectly Venezuela could be a dangerous place to visit. This is most probably true and I thank you for looking out for my safely.

The Chavez's regime has lots of challenges ahead, I know he is not the 'best' but then he is not the worst either..for me this is a time of great change all over the world, and I would like to find a place to make a contribution to share my skills and open up the beauty of the world through spoken and visual language - to make the invisible - visible, which is the magical nature of art.

Your country needs good people more than ever - to help bring about a new culture of justice by become bilingual and literate and understand the world they live in is one way for them to participate in the changes that need to take place.

For a long time I have wanted to learn Spanish, I think the way to do this in a spanish-speaking community...no more taps or book as I feel I have to get along side the people and learn...

so to find a place to teach english and learn in your beautiful language...would be a great dream come true for me.


So like you I am trying to decide where to go...you mention East...I assume you might mean Asia maybe!

But then South-West from Venezuela is equally as interesting... across the wide Pacific Ocean to Australia or New Zealand where I live. These are exciting places as they have mature democracies and are very safe places to live. For example; Australia has a wonderful growing multi-cultural society and many immigrants are attracted by the opportunities that are there. A city like Melbourne is a truly great city of the world.  You could easy get work with your profession as a medical radiographer even here in my city; Dunedin which has a University medical school and hospital.

Thank you again for for your contact and interest in my outline.

Till you write again then, my best wishes to you.

Stephen (:

spmulqueen wrote:

Well dear Maru,

I wasn't expecting a thumbs down so quick from you as a recommendation NOT to visit your beautiful country Venezuela, but then I am not that surprised, as I have been following your countries polities for sometime.

I know that corruption is a big problem and the divide between rich and poor is great...In your advise, you might be looking after me! as you say indirectly Venezuela could be a dangerous place to visit. This is most probably true and I thank you for looking out for my safely.

The Chavez's regime has lots of challenges ahead, I know he is not the 'best' but then he is not the worst either..for me this is a time of great change all over the world, and I would like to find a place to make a contribution to share my skills and open up the beauty of the world through spoken and visual language - to make the invisible - visible, which is the magical nature of art.

Your country needs good people more than ever - to help bring about a new culture of justice by become bilingual and literate and understand the world they live in is one way for them to participate in the changes that need to take place.

For a long time I have wanted to learn Spanish, I think the way to do this in a spanish-speaking community...no more taps or book as I feel I have to get along side the people and learn...

so to find a place to teach english and learn in your beautiful language...would be a great dream come true for me.


So like you I am trying to decide where to go...you mention East...I assume you might mean Asia maybe!

But then South-West from Venezuela is equally as interesting... across the wide Pacific Ocean to Australia or New Zealand where I live. These are exciting places as they have mature democracies and are very safe places to live. For example; Australia has a wonderful growing multi-cultural society and many immigrants are attracted by the opportunities that are there. A city like Melbourne is a truly great city of the world.  You could easy get work with your profession as a medical radiographer even here in my city; Dunedin which has a University medical school and hospital.

Thank you again for for your contact and interest in my outline.

Till you write again then, my best wishes to you.

Stephen (:


Hi!, how you doing?, IŽm Victor, I live in Maracay, I donŽt think you have to give up on your dream of living in a spanish speaker country to improve your spanish, Maracay is a good city IŽd say, is not too big but not too small either, there are a couple of schools of languages and a university for english teachers so it is plenty of people willing to interact with native english speakers. Regarding the political situation, well I would say it is not the main thing to worry about, what does is the high crime rate, so the best way to avoid becoming a victim is avoidoing going out late at night and using not expensive items like jewellry, etc...Well if you would like to know anything else just ask :) IŽll be delighted to help you.

Saludos Victor! A mi me han robado, ya varias veces, en el dia y con un arma, en zonas "buenas" de Valencia y sin usar joyas de ningun tipo. Tengo amigos y familiares q han sido robados, secuestrados y/o asesinados. No es seguro el transporte público, ni caminar por las calles, etc. Asi que no estoy de acuerdo en que dices que solo el peligro es de noche. Mantengo mi posición y no aconsejo a Stephen ni a nadie, por seguridad que visiten Venezuela. El puede hacer realidad su sueño en otro lugar de latinoamérica que sea más seguro.

@maru hurtado -> Can you please write in english on this Anglophone forum so that everybody can understand and participate? :)

Thank you,
Aurélie

I have been robbed several times in the day and with a gun in "safe" areas of Valencia and unused jewelry of any kind. I have friends and family who have been robbed, kidnapped and / or murdered. Not safe public transport, or walk through the streets, etc. Just look at the numbers of murders that occur on a weekend, it is really shocking. There are many things happening in Venezuela that are not known abroad. Venezuela is a beautiful country, but unfortunately it has become a country unsafe and uneasy to live, and that makes me very sad. So I disagree when you say (Victor) is a danger only at night. I maintain my position and I do not advise Stephen or anyone, for security reasons visit (for now) Venezuela. He can realize his dream elsewhere in Latin America that is safer. I really am very sorry :(

maru hurtado wrote:

Saludos Victor! A mi me han robado, ya varias veces, en el dia y con un arma, en zonas "buenas" de Valencia y sin usar joyas de ningun tipo. Tengo amigos y familiares q han sido robados, secuestrados y/o asesinados. No es seguro el transporte público, ni caminar por las calles, etc. Asi que no estoy de acuerdo en que dices que solo el peligro es de noche. Mantengo mi posición y no aconsejo a Stephen ni a nadie, por seguridad que visiten Venezuela. El puede hacer realidad su sueño en otro lugar de latinoamérica que sea más seguro.


Hola Maru, yo no niego la realidad, por eso le comenté a Stephen sobre el índice de crímenes aquí, sólo que me da cosa quitarle como el entusiasmo o la ilusión de conocer Venezuela a los extranjeros, yo vivo en Maracay desde hace años y afortunadamente también desde hace años gracias a Dios no me han robado ni he pasado ningún susto, quizá Maracay sea un poquito más segura, estudio en Valencia en la UC y viajo casi todos los días para allá, hace un tiempo en Puente Bárbula sí trataron de robarme el celular dos chamitos, afortunadamente me les pude escapar porque salí corriendo, sé que es algo muy serio lo que ocurre aquí en Venezuela y no te quito la razón, sin embargo, aunque uno le advierta a los extranjeros sobre la situación de aquí, muchos igual vendrán y por eso quise como darle algunos tips a Stephen por si a caso él decide venir pues para que evite al máximo el ser víctima de la delincuencia...Un gran saludo!

Can you please write in english on this Anglophone forum so that everybody can understand and participate?

Thank you,


:rolleyes:

Here is the Hispanic forum.

Thank you so much for having a global perspective and giving our country a chance. I am venezuelan born expatriate who has recently moved back from US to Venezuela despite all those issues. For me, its a honor to see somebody from oversees still seeing hope in our country without disregarding the problems this country has.For that i thank you sir.
Any help you may need, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Rgds
Moises

Like Stephen, I would very much like to live in a Spanish-speaking country to experience the culture, learn Spanish, and teach English.  My husband and I are considering Caracas, Maracaibo, or Puerto La Cruz.  Can anyone tell me which of these areas is most safe?  Also, are the reports about safety getting in and out of the airport and traveling on the roads as bad as what you read?

Any information anyone could give me about life in Venezuela for an American would be helpful. 

Thanks.

gbyars330 wrote:

Like Stephen, I would very much like to live in a Spanish-speaking country to experience the culture, learn Spanish, and teach English.  My husband and I are considering Caracas, Maracaibo, or Puerto La Cruz.  Can anyone tell me which of these areas is most safe?  Also, are the reports about safety getting in and out of the airport and traveling on the roads as bad as what you read?

Any information anyone could give me about life in Venezuela for an American would be helpful. 

Thanks.


Hi!, I would choose Puerto La Cruz, if you like the beach, a touristic place, this would be your choice, Caracas and Maracaibo are not the safest ones. About the reports about safety at the airport I donŽt have too much information, but what we do here is picking up taxis that belong to a registered company, I havenŽt had any problem with taxis in my whole life but IŽve heard stories about people being assualted by taxi drivers but I do can say it is not common at all.

Hi Stephen. I study in the British council, and I understand they are now hiring english teachers.

britishcouncil.org

The country is a bit dangerous, but it's not like you get shot every time you set a foot outside home... I think if you are careful, don't get involved in politics, or drugs, and be aware of where you go, you will be fine.

Hi Geamant. It is ok, I only advise you not getting involved in politics. There is currently an american jailed for making a documentary about venezuelan politics.
They think he is a CIA spy!
So, my only advise is to stay away from politics, and the people involved in it, either government o opposition.